Conventional structured compositions typically employ various types of waxes as structuring agents in order to form user-friendly products having good pay-off (a term used to describe both the amount of product applied onto a target substrate, as well as, the way the product distributes onto the substrate), and stability properties, particularly with respect to temperature stability. The problem with wax-based stick compositions is that they possess an undesirable waxy feel and inherently reduce the shine of any shine-imparting ingredients present in the stick composition.
Attempts have been made to formulate structured gel compositions in the absence of wax. For example, various types of polyamides have been commercialized as gellators/structuring agents in order to form solid compositions. Similarly, various glutamides, as well as various types of polyurethanes have also been commercialized in order to form solid, preferably clear, compositions. Such attempts, however, while successful at making solid compositions, possess numerous technical problems.
One of the technical problems associated with the above-referenced, commercial wax-free compositions involves their stability when exposed to elevated temperatures. It is imperative, from a practical point of view, that such compositions be able to withstand fluctuations in temperature during conventional storage conditions without becoming too soft, thereby negatively impacting their use profile. In order to avoid such stability issues, the composition must possess a certain melting point profile.
Another technical problem relates to the way in which the composition is deposited onto a target substrate, also referred to as “pay-off”. Poor pay-off, defined as too much deposit, too little deposit, or lack of uniformity of deposit, is primarily associated with the hardness/elasticity of the structured composition. Thus, in order to avoid such deposit issues, particularly with respect to color deposit, it is necessary that the composition possess certain hardness/elasticity properties.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a non-aqueous, structured, gel-form composition having a silky feel, is capable of carrying various types of active ingredients and that does not suffer from the aforementioned technical problems.